WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 21: Judge Neil Gorsuch testifies during the second day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Gorsuch was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left on the court by the February 2016 death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Chip Somodevilla

Incidentally, Garland’s name came up quite a bit during day one of Gorsuch’s hearings, which took place on Monday. The opening day consisted largely of introductions, but several Democrats reminded the crowd and viewers that the GOP prevented Obama’s Supreme Court pick from receiving a hearing. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said that such an act reflected a “Republican strategy to capture our judicial branch of government.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., added that Republicans “denied any semblance of due legislative process” for Garland.

As for Gorsuch, he spoke near the end of the first day, in a seeming attempt to convey a message of unity. He also expressed his gratitude to his professional peers, saying, “Judging is sometimes a lonely and hard job, but I have seen how these men and women work with courage and collegiality, independence and integrity. Their work helps make the promises of our Constitution and laws real for us all.”

Tuesday marks the second day of Gorsuch’s hearing, with senators questioning him in regard to his previous experiences, his beliefs and views, and his intentions. Here are some highlights from the second day of confirmation hearings:

Gorsuch was asked about Roe v. Wade.

Roe v. Wade was the Supreme Court decision that secured legal abortion rights for women in the United States. President Trump has expressed an interest in appointing judges who would be willing to overturn this decision.

When asked about Roe v. Wade, Gorsuch said, “I would tell you that Roe vs. Wade, decided in 1973, is the precedent of the United States Supreme Court.” He added: “If I were to start telling you which are my favorite precedents...I would be tipping my hand and suggesting to litigants that I have already made up my mind about their cases.” But Gorsuch would neither confirm nor deny that Roe v. Wade is a “superprecedent” — a legal decision that is difficult to overturn because it has become so deeply embedded in the law.

Gorsuch also claimed that despite Trump’s previous statement, no one from the White House had asked him how he would rule on certain legal issues prior to his nomination. “I have offered no promises on how I’d rule to anyone on any case,” Gorsuch said.

Gorsuch said he’s not a surrogate for Trump.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, addressed Gorsuch: “One of my Democratic colleagues said that it’s important to know whether you are a surrogate for President Trump or for particular interests groups. Are you?” Gorsuch replied, “No,” which elicited an “Of course not” from Hatch.

There was discussion about workers’ rights.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., questioned Gorsuch on whether he would aim to support large corporations or the “little guy.” Feinstein asked: “How do we have confidence in you that you won’t just be for the big corporations? Those of us, I think on both sides, care very much about workers’ rights. But the record is such that one questions whether the court is capable in its current composition to give a worker a fair shot.”

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In response, Gorsuch cited cases in which he ruled on pollution and pregnancy discrimination. (Incidentally, two of Gorsuch’s former students recently came forward to accuse him of making discriminatory remarks about female workers, though another student disputed that he had made those comments.)

Gorsuch told Feinstein: “Senator, the bottom line I think is that I’d like to convey to you from the bottom of my heart is that I’m a fair judge. I can’t guarantee you more than that, but I can promise you absolutely nothing less.”

The topic of Trump’s Muslim ban came up.

During a particularly contentious segment, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., questioned Gorsuch on Trump’s Muslim ban. The senator began by asking whether the First Amendment allowed for a “religious litmus test” for anyone entering the U.S. “That’s an issue currently being litigated,” Gorsuch answered, adding: “We have a Free Exercise Clause that protects the free exercise of religions by all persons in this country.... If you are asking about how to apply it to a specific case, I can’t talk about that for understandable reasons.”

Pressing on, Leahy asked if the president had the authority to hypothetically ban all Jews from the country. “We have a constitution, and it does guarantee freedom to exercise. It also guarantees equal protection of the laws,” Gorsuch said. He added, “Due process rights extend even to undocumented persons in this country. I will apply the law faithfully and fearlessly.”

Posing yet another hypothetical question, Leahy inquired if there should be a religious litmus test to serve in the military. Gorsuch called such a notion “inappropriate.”